Thursday, October 25, 2018

My Village has Transformed

by Josephine Asio,
Program Coordinator

Moses during our interview, holding notes
from a meeting he just attended.

Despite the many people attending
prayers at the mosque next door, we were able to manage a quiet conversation in
Moses’ compound. The peaceful scene was the perfect setting for our sensitive
conversation.

Next to Moses’ compound in Bulondo
there is a swamp and a sugar cane field. One of these brings income; the other
brings heartache. One day, Moses’ wife came to him with good news: she was pregnant
with their sixth child. They were elated! She immediately went to the health
center to begin antenatal care. Things were progressing well until around four
months.

Being so close to the swamp, Moses and
his family constantly battle a vicious cycle of malaria, which keeps them from
attending school and work. In addition to the reduced income Moses receives
when he cannot work due to the illness, medical expenses strain the family’s finances,
which make paying for mosquito nets challenging. Then, due to a particularly
nasty bout of malaria, Moses’ wife suffered a miscarriage. Their little savings
was drained to pay medical expenses for her treatment. Moses felt trapped.

As an avid supporter of UVP, Moses helps
to mobilize community members to attend
outreaches, sometimes directly from the car!

Then, he learned that UVP was providing reduced-cost mosquito nets and he immediately jumped at the opportunity,
buying one for his wife and another for his two smaller children. Eventually,
as the medical costs reduce, he was able to afford 2 more nets so every member
of his family was protected during the night.

As the chairman of his village, Moses knows
that he acts as an ambassador for good health, and he is happy to fulfill this
role. He also knows that improving the health of his village takes a group
effort: from the leaders in his community, to his neighbors, to UVP staff, and
to the financial supporters who take health seriously.

“My village has slowly transformed,”
Moses says, “I am grateful to UVP as a person who has directly benefited from
this organization.”

Do you have a deep passion for preventing malaria? Join the movement to approach poverty through health prevention!